Patents by Inventor Steven E. Smith

Steven E. Smith has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7216990
    Abstract: According to one embodiment a method for aligning a light source includes providing a lamp and a lamp interface. The lamp interface has an alignment aperture disposed thereon. The method also includes aligning the lamp with respect to the lamp interface until a desired amount of light is focused on the alignment aperture. The method further includes fixing the lamp to the lamp aperture to form an aligned lamp assembly after obtaining a desired lamp alignment. Then the aligned lamp assembly is coupled to an integrating rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven M. Penn, Steven E. Smith
  • Patent number: 6905259
    Abstract: Disclosed is a mounting system and method in which symmetrical springs are used about a collar in a gimbal system to capture an assembly of a ball and an optical or other type of component. Once captured within the mounting system, the ball/component assembly can pivot until an optimal alignment is reached. Once the optimal alignment is reached, the ball/component assembly is fixed using laser welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven E. Smith, Donald A. Powell
  • Patent number: 6894853
    Abstract: An improved window frame and window piece for a micromirror assembly is disclosed herein. The window frame includes a stress-relieving contour positioned in the middle of the frame that can absorb the mechanical stresses applied to the window frame from the ceramic base and from the window piece. The window frame may be comprised of a single piece of sheet metal that has been stamped to include a stress-relieving contour. The stress-relieving contour may be comprised of a variety of shapes, including a ā€œUā€ shape, an inverted ā€œUā€ shape, a curved step shape, or other combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Bradley Morgan Haskett, John Patrick O'Connor, Steven E. Smith, Mark Myron Miller, Ivan Kmecko, Jwei Wien Liu, Edward Carl Fisher, Frank O. Armstrong, Daniel C. Estabrook, Jeffrey E. Farris
  • Publication number: 20030210452
    Abstract: An improved window frame and window piece for a micromirror assembly is disclosed herein. The window frame includes a stress-relieving contour positioned in the middle of the frame that can absorb the mechanical stresses applied to the window frame from the ceramic base and from the window piece. The window frame may be comprised of a single piece of sheet metal that has been stamped to include a stress-relieving contour. The stress-relieving contour may be comprised of a variety of shapes, including a “U” shape, an inverted “U” shape, a curved step shape, or other combinations thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Applicant: Texas Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Morgan Haskett, John Patrick O'Connor, Steven E. Smith, Mark Myron Miller, Ivan Kmecko, Jwei Wien Liu, Edward Carl Fisher, Frank O. Armstrong, Daniel C. Estabrook, Jeffrey E. Farris
  • Publication number: 20030123808
    Abstract: Disclosed is a mounting system and method in which symmetrical springs are used about a collar in a gimbal system to capture an assembly of a ball and an optical or other type of component. Once captured within the mounting system, the ball/component assembly can pivot until an optimal alignment is reached. Once the optimal alignment is reached, the ball/component assembly is fixed using laser welding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Steven E. Smith, Donald A. Powell
  • Patent number: 6476986
    Abstract: A six-axis attachment mechanism for aligning a spatial light modulator (106) within a display system. An attachment plate (100) has one or more pins (104) extending therefrom. A socket plate (108) onto which a spatial light modulator (106) is attached slides over the pins (104). The modulator is then positioned to optically align it with the remainder of the display system. As the modulator is held in alignment, a washer (110) is slid onto the pin (104) and is bonded to both the pin (104) and to the socket plate (108). Washers (110) are typically transparent to enable the use of an optically cured adhesive. Glass washers (110) allow ultraviolet radiation to reach the adhesive through the glass washer (110).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven E. Smith, Ronald C. Creech, Jack D. Grimmett
  • Publication number: 20020034023
    Abstract: A six-axis attachment mechanism for aligning a spatial light modulator (106) within a display system. An attachment plate (100) has one or more pins (104) extending therefrom. A socket plate (108) onto which a spatial light modulator (106) is attached slides over the pins (104). The modulator is then positioned to optically align it with the remainder of the display system. As the modulator is held in alignment, a washer (110) is slid onto the pin (104) and is bonded to both the pin (104) and to the socket plate (108). Washers (110) are typically transparent to enable the use of an optically cured adhesive. Glass washers (110) allow ultraviolet radiation to reach the adhesive through the glass washer (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventors: Steven E. Smith, Ronald C. Creech, Jack D. Grimmett
  • Publication number: 20020029254
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for controlling and managing the storage and retrieval of personal information in a computer network environment and that is configured for supporting any number of applications supplied by any number of vendors. An exemplary method and system can provide an open-ended capability for an individual to define, securely store, retrieve and/or modify information pertaining to the activities of the individual, such as those relating to computer access, electronic commerce or Internet based information searching, or the communication with other parties via electronic mechanisms. In addition, an exemplary method and system can provide significant improvement to prior art server-based and local client-based methodologies of managing stored information through the utilization of smart card-like devices having server-like processing capability, as well as physical security and mobility aspects provided by the size and portability of the user smart card device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventors: Terry L. Davis, Steven E. Smith, Yvan Y. Baudoin, Ole Sorensen
  • Patent number: 4967347
    Abstract: A multiple-redundant computer system having multiple computational devices operating in synchronism, multiple voter circuits to provide voted memory reading operations for the devices, and multiple fault detection logic for the detection of failures of the computational devices. Fault status words generated by the fault detection logic are also subject to a voted read by the multiple computational devices, thereby permitting detection of errors in the fault detection logic itself, as well as in the computational devices. The module structure of the invention also permits removal and replacement of circuit modules, each including a computational device and fault detection logic, without disconnecting power from the entire system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1990
    Assignee: BH-F (Triplex) Inc.
    Inventors: Steven E. Smith, Kenneth J. Murphy
  • Patent number: 4868826
    Abstract: Circuit modules for providing digital or analog outputs from computational devices in such a manner that the components of the output circuit modules are tolerant of malfunctions in one or more of the components. In the digital output embodiment of the invention, output signals are independently derived using two voting circuits and are then applied to two switches connected in series to provide a fail-safe condition for most types of failure of the switches or the voting circuits. Two identical modules provide the ability to faithfully follow commanded on or off signals in all but a statistically small number of situations, and permit convenient replacement of a defective module without affecting output through the other module. In an analog output module, two independent voting circuits provide voted digital outputs to separate digital-to-analog converters, the outputs of which are compared to generate a validity signal that is used to control an output switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Triplex
    Inventors: Steven E. Smith, Janusz M. Kucharski, Kenneth J. Murphy